Roberto Díaz

Roberto Diaz

"Always an electric presence.”–Philadelphia Inquirer

A violist of international reputation, Roberto Díaz is president and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music, following in the footsteps of renowned soloist/directors such as Josef Hofmann, Efrem Zimbalist, and Rudolf Serkin. As a teacher of viola at Curtis and former principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Díaz has already had a significant impact on American musical life and continues to do so in his dual roles as performer and educator.

Biography

A violist of international reputation, Roberto Díaz is president and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music, following in the footsteps of renowned soloist/directors such as Josef Hofmann, Efrem Zimbalist, and Rudolf Serkin.

As a soloist, Mr. Díaz collaborates with leading conductors of our time on stages throughout the world. He has also worked directly with important 20th- and 21st-century composers, including Krzysztof Penderecki—whose viola concerto he has performed numerous times with the composer on the podium and whose double concerto he premiered in the United States—as well as Edison Denisov, Jennifer Higdon, Ricardo Lorenz, Bright Sheng, and Roberto Sierra.

A frequent recitalist, Mr. Díaz enjoys collaborating with young musicians, bringing a fresh approach to the repertoire and providing invaluable opportunities to artists at the beginning of their careers. In addition to performing with major string quartets and pianists in chamber music series and festivals worldwide, he is a member of the Díaz Trio. His recordings include a Grammy-winning performance of the Jennifer Higdon Viola Concerto, a Grammy-nominated disc of viola transcriptions by William Primrose for Naxos, and releases on the Artek, Bridge Records, Dorian, Nimbus, and New World labels.

In addition to his decade-long tenure as principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Díaz was also principal viola of the National Symphony under Mstislav Rostropovich, and was a member of the Boston Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he continues to serve on the faculty, holding the James and Betty Matarese Chair in Viola Studies and the Nina von Maltzahn President’s Chair. Mr. Díaz plays the ex-Primrose Amati viola.

Read full biography in the artist’s promotional kit.

Videos

Selected Discography

  • PRIMROSE: Viola Transcriptions

    Naxos (2006)

    GRAMMY Nominated

    William Primrose composed these arrangements in order – as he mischievously wrote – to elevate the viola from its ‘dull dog of the string family’ status, and to ‘set the cat among the pigeons’ – meaning other violists. Roberto Díaz, until recently principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, plays the magnificent-sounding c.1600 Amati instrument formerly owned by Primrose.

    Listen Now
    Apple Music | Spotify | Amazon Music | Naxos

  • HIGDON, J.: All Things Majestic / Viola Concerto / Oboe Concerto

    Naxos (2017)

    GRAMMY Winner

    Jennifer Higdon is one of the most distinguished composers working in America today, and her music is a perfect fit for the Nashville Symphony, which has long maintained a commitment to championing the country’s most important voices. All Things Majestic is a four-movement suite which vividly captures the breathtaking beauty of the American landscape, and her wonderfully expressive concertos for viola and oboe bring out the unique textures and sonorities of these frequently overlooked solo instruments.

    Listen Now
    Apple Music | Spotify | Amazon Music | Naxos

See Full Discography

Press

“… in Bartók’s monstrously difficult viola concerto, Díaz … had the piece under his fingers as firmly and elegantly as Serkin had Mozart, or Heifetz had Tchaikovsky.”
Philadelphia Inquirer

“… put the viola in the hands of Roberto Diaz and any preconceptions evaporate within several measures … [he] surely made believers out of those at the Phillips Sunday afternoon.”
Washington Post

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    “One couldn’t imagine a better performance than the one the NSO and its guest soloist, violist Roberto Diaz, delivered … Diaz proved to be a true musician-scholar.  His performance was polished to perfection, and he imparted, in every note, a sense of urgency and emotion.” [Jennifer Higdon Viola Concerto]

    “After intermission, Diaz and NSO concertmaster Jun Iwasaki performed together as soloists in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major.  [They] gave beautifully synchronized performances, each conveying a welcome degree of exuberance.”
    Nashville Scene

    “The Kansas City Symphony concluded my weekend with the extraordinary violist Roberto Díaz, whose Bartók Concerto displayed warmth and incisive detail. In the big Romantic tunes, Díaz’ viola sang like the gutsiest of mezzo-sopranos, while the rapid filigree had a delicate sheen.”
    Kansas City Star

    “The first half also had its brilliant moments, chiefly in the hands of violist Roberto Diaz, who just ripped wonderfully into the Bartók Viola Concerto.”
    Buffalo News

    “Diaz went far beyond mere technical mastery and full-bodied tone and entered the rarer realm of artistry … [he] didn’t utter a single routine statement [Berlioz Harold in Italy].”
    Philadelphia Inquirer

    “… a rich, deep, mellifluous tone, impeccable intonation, an attractive, even vibrato, a nimble left hand, a smooth bow arm, and an excellent sense of timing and tempo. All these qualities make him a real star of his instrument …”
    American Record Guide

ARTIST'S PROMOTIONAL KIT

Repertoire

  • Concertos

    BACH, J.C.: Concerto in C Minor
    BARTÓK: Concerto
    BENDA: Concerto
    BENJAMIN: Romantic Fantasy for Violin and Viola
    BERLIOZ: Harold in Italy
    BRITTEN: Lacrymae
    BRUCH: Romanze
    DENISOV: Concerto
    DITTERSDORF: Concerto for Viola and Contrabass
    DRUCKMAN: Concerto
    HANDEL: Concerto
    HINDEMITH: Der Schwanendreher
    HINDEMITH: Trauermusik
    JONES, R.: Concerto
    MOZART: Sinfonia Concertante
    PENDERECKI: Concerto
    PISTON: Concerto
    RANJBARAN: Concerto for Viola
    RANJBARAN: Concerto for Violin and Viola
    RÓZSA: Concerto
    SCHNITTKE: Concerto
    SIERRA: Concerto
    SIERRA: Double Concerto for Violin and Viola
    STAMITZ: Concerto in D
    TELEMANN: Concerto in G
    WALTON: Concerto

    Additional concertos may be available upon request, in consultation with Curtis Artist Management (contact information below). Repertoire must be approved by Roberto Diaz.

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Contact

General Management
Andrew Lane
Vice President, Touring and Artist Management
Executive Director, Curtis Artist Management
(215) 717-3124
andrew.lane@curtis.edu

Booking Inquiries (North America)
Brayton Arvin
Artist Manager and Booking Representative
(215) 875-4204
brayton.arvin@curtis.edu

Steven Halpner
Booking Representative
(215) 717-3146
steven.halpner@curtis.edu

Booking Inquiries (Europe)
Julika Castro
Booking Representative, Europe
+49 (0)178-514 43 26
julika.castro@curtis.edu

Engagement Advancing
Catelyn Cohen
Manager of Artist Services
(215) 717-3129
catelyn.cohen@curtis.edu

Curtis Artist Management

Curtis Artist Management offers personalized, comprehensive management and global representation for a curated group of distinguished alumni and faculty artists.